I question things which people take for granted. I would have been that kid who said the emperor was naked. In real life that kid would probably have been lynched, but I'll take my chances...
I believe truth inherently valuable, no matter how well intentioned the ideology it dispels may be.
I also write about random interesting things from my personal life.

23 January 2008

First version mysteriously disappeared!

I have been failing to fulfill my responsibility to provide
my non-nonsensical thoughts to my 4 or so readers and the 10 anonymous people
who for some reason refuse to let me know who they are.
This is primarily because I haven't had time (from work, spending time with my
wife, and video games).
When I have posted, its been the sucky unoriginal kind where I just summarize a
news story or post a link I found interesting.
Unfortunately, this is going to be another of those.

On the plus side, I have 5 original ideas lined up, which I am sure I will get
to relatively soon. The subjects are written down so I won't forget, and
the content has been enhanced and refined by countless raving conversations
with people in the real world.

Virgin Airlines has decided to put 100% of its profits over the next 10 years
into developing a non-food crop based renewable bio-fuel to replace petroleum
based jet-fuel.
You should avoid flying altogether: although planes are the cause of a
relatively small percentage of GHG emissions, this is largely because of the
sheer volume of driving we do. Takes a lot of energy just to keep
something that weighs 485 tons in the air, never mind traveling at hundreds of
miles per hour. Not that driving to NY is much better (its actually
slightly worse if you make the drive solo). If you have to travel long
distance, its best to take the train.
But we all know we're gonna fly at least occasionally.
I think Virgin has earned our business. Plus, their is innuendo in the
brand, which is another plus.http://www.motherjones.com/washington_dispatch/2008/01/virgin-airlines-pond-scum-biofuel-global-warming.html
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A bill has just passed congress, and is expected to pass the senate soon, which
focuses on stopping domestic terrorism (that is, acts done by US citizens and
permanent residents) not only before they happen, but before they are even
planned. It goes beyond conspiracy to commit a crime to simply holding an
ideology which may tend to lead eventually to a crime. While that is not
an arrestable offense, it sets up a government agency tasked with tracking and
surveillance on individuals which have undergone or are undergoing "
'violent radicalization' [which] means the process of adopting or promoting an
extremist belief system for the purpose of facilitating ideologically based
violence to advance political, religious, or social change."
Look carefully at the syntax of that sentence (a quote from the bill).
It is not based on an actual attempt, plan, or even necessarily even a specific
thought of violence, but just having an "extremist belief system"
which facilitates violence.
It explicitly includes political or social change. There is no definition of
what constitutes "extreme".
Protests have at times included breaking windows, flipping over unoccupied
cars, and resisting arrest, all of which can be considered violence. As
such, simply adopting any belief system which is dissatisfied with anything
politically or socially could conceivably fall under this new agencies
jurisdiction.
By this standard, my blog might be enough to draw attention.

In the US, the
car with the highest mileage (the Prius) gets about 45mpg in real world
driving.
This is lower than the average of the entire fleet of passenger cars (including
light trucks, vans, and SUVs) in Japan,
which has the highest mileage standards in the world at around 47.
The EU is close behind, with standards at about 43, and is set to go above 50
in the next 4 years.
Many US car
companies have been advertising cars that get 35 as though this were good
mileage.
Some Americans like to point out the rate at which China
is catching up to the US
in petroleum use and pollution (although this is in total for the country, no
one comes close per capita) - yet even China
averages 35 for all passenger vehicles.
The US, with
all its resources, money, and technology, comes in dead last among all first
world countries. Our current 25.3 is actually LOWER than our average from
20 years ago (25.9)

ADDDITION: Just read that a company (in India)
has started selling a (4 door) car which gets 50mpg which retails for $2500
(American dollars). Its called the Nano.
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A blog I stumbled upon of a guy who, while in Japan, buys and browses a great
variety of interesting and unusual (at least in our culture) sex toys,
including an extended stop in a 7 story tall adult superstore. Now I like
to think of myself as fairly open-minded and adventurous, I enjoy or can at
least sympathize with a variety of things I'd just as soon not admit to a
general audience, and even I found this to be much more creepy and weird than
even slightly sexy. It is most certainly entertaining though. Note
also there is a part two at the bottom.http://www.demonbaby.com/blog/2005/08/curiosities-from-japans-porno-shops.html